Runaway
by Kroniis
Summary: "Hi, my name is Marie and I'm immune...to everything."Marie is tired of not having her own life. Ever since the Lone Wanderer left her in the hands of Midea and Werhner, she's waited to break free from the Pitt. And soon, she will. - - Spills into Capital Wasteland and all the way into the Mojave - -
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **__I got this idea from reading Daughter of A Deathclaw. I was surprised out how little Marie - from the Pitt - was worked with in this fandom and had to fix this. Mostly composed of short chapters that are made of diary entries by Marie. Hope you all enjoy. R&amp;R excuse spelling mistakes. I typed this on my phone and it doesn't use autocorrect when I do that so I couldn't catch any mistakes I missed while typing._

**I**

_**August 9, 2093**_

My name is Marie and I'm immune.

To what, you may ask.

Well...everything really.

Radiation. Trog. Hell, I've never even gotten the sniffles.

About sixteen years ago, everyone thought I would be a were going to run some tests on this cool machines and all the smart people were going to use that data to make a cure so the people of the Pitt - my home - wouldn't have to suffer Trog anymore.

It worked for awhile.

Those that were caught in time still suffer the horrid scars where skin fell off. Others healed completely. They even tested on a few of those that were already consumed by the disease and managed to actually _tame _some of them.

But as I said, that only worked for awhile.

Those that had already been infected before the cure are changing, becoming something worse.

And they wanna run mpre tests on me. But no, I don't wanna go back to that lab. I wanna be a person, not 'The Cure'.

I wanna be Marie.

No special titles, no honorary titles, no special means. I wanna be free.

And there's only one way I know I can do this, become free.

I have to leave the Pitt.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**__ A thank you to Krulla Chief . I'm happy someone is interested in this story. Chapters start short and seemingly pointless but get better I promise._

**II**

**August 17, 2093**

I went to Werhners grave today.

He died when I was ten.

I miss him so much. He was my step-father after the rebellion; he was the one that started it. All with the help of the Mysterious Stranger who murdered my real parents. But enough about that, visiting his grave gave me enough courage to actually go through with my plans. I told him everything, told him my plans and everything. He didn't protest (that is a horrible joke).

I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna leave the Pitt.

I hope no one finds this journal. If they did, if they learned my plans, they would put me in lock down. Quarantine. With armed guards and everything.

The thought alone makes me want to drink.

But that's a pointless endeavor. Booze doesn't affect me. My body fights the alcohol like it was a disease, leaving me sober though I can drink the whole reserve in the Mill.

I can't even take Med-X, my body filters it out too fast for it to take effect.

I wonder if my brain could combat a bullet.

_**/N: **__I know, it ended kind of dark but this will be the last dark chapter for a long time. But there will definitely be more. I mean, it is Fallout after all. _


	3. Chapter 3

She stared at the large wall made of brick and wire, seeing the tip of Haven just over the top.

Her teeth were wearing on the tip of her thumb nail and she stood straight, sighing as she stuffed her hands into the back of her pants. Her hair formed a golden halo around her face for a moment and he smiled reverently that she was his.

"Marie," she jumped and looked over at him, smiling.

"Jackson," she breathed walking towards him heavily. "I thought you were out scavenging with the trogs."

He closed his eyes as her arms wrapped around his throat and wrapped his own around her waist. "Just got back, have a shitload of pencils for you."

She jumped back a step, her grin wide and fierce. "Oh my goodness! Thank you, thank you, thank you," she tackled him again. "I love you so much!"

"Aw, you only love me because I get you pencils?"

"Yep," she pulled back and grabbed his hand, looking back to the wall; should she ask him?

Silence wrapped around them and he sighed, leaning back against the railing. She did the same, gripping the railing behind her with her free hand. Everything smelt like fire, smoke and embers, melted steel and dirt. The smells she had grown up around, the smells she was used to, they all seemed like poison right now. She was suffocating in this hell-hole and the only thing that knew it was her diary.

She was technically despised.

While everyone still remained sickly or scarred, she was radiant and glowing, untouched by the world they lived in, only in mind but she was still fairly innocent. She could fight, she could handle a gun, she could work in the Mill but damn did she just want to get sick once. She didn't want everyone to despise her because she was a 'miracle of nature'. She didn't _want _to be a miracle of nature. She wanted to be a normal person, a simple teenager, but no one was giving her the chance.

"You ever been to the Capital Wasteland, Jackson," she muttered.

He hummed for a moment and looked over at her. "No, but Riley has. Why?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Had some traders come in, were talking about some pretty weird stuff and I just wanted to verify their stories," she smiled at him. "Sounds pretty cool."

Jackson scoffed. "Well, it's not. No one has any rules. Raiders run rampant, raping and pillaging everything."

"I thought you said you had never been there."

"I haven't," he stood straight, tugging her along. "Riley has, she tells me about everything. Look, you don't need to worry about the outside world. We're getting married soon. You talked to Jenna about it?"

Marie groaned. "No I haven't," she smiled sheepishly. "Not today anyway."

Jackson chuckled a little. "You need to get on that."

"I know…"

Right, marriage.

She and Jackson agreed to be married and Marie wanted to tell him she was leaving. She loved him, love him with her entire being, but she also loved her freedom. Possibly more. If she married him, there was no way she would ever be free.

But she loved him.

But she loved her freedom…

* * *

"_I don't want to set the world on fiiiiiiire,_" she sang, swaying her hips as she dropped her shirts into the knapsack.

"What are you doing?"

Marie looked over her shoulder, seeing her 'mother' Jenna standing there. "Just putting stuff in the bag for Riley," she stuffed a few pairs of pants in there. "She said whenever they go out on runs, her clothes get ruined so she has to stay in soiled clothes for days."

"But your good clothes, Marie," Jenna bought the lie. "Honey, I don't think –"

"It's fine, really," Marie smiled gently. "What're you doing home tonight? I thought you had Mill duty?"

Jenna shrugged a little. "I'm going in late, wanted you to be settled in before I left. I got the chance to cook."

"Thank God," Marie sighed and tied the knapsack closed, following Jenna out of the room. "I usually have to cook. I'm lazy."

Jenna laughed and walked over to the stove while Marie sat in one of the old chairs. She kept looking to the clock while Jenna had her back turned, hoping she wouldn't stay in tonight and would run off to the Mill. Marie had told Jackson the lie, told him to tell Riley to come over, she had something for the scavenger. In truth, Marie was getting Riley to smuggle her out of the city to the Capital Wasteland. She didn't want to stay here any longer and Riley would have no quarrel with taking her out of here. Marie would just be another package; the only person she showed any other emotion to was her husband Carlton, other than that she was cruel and hard, doing nothing unless she was getting paid.

"Here, mac-n-cheese and Brahmin steak."

"Holy hell," Marie grinned, grabbing her fork. "We never have steak."

Jenna chuckled. "Exactly. So, eat up, I'll be back around one," she grabbed her gloves from the old rusty chair by the door and slipped them on, also grabbing her apron. "Oh yeah," Marie looked up from her food, the taste of ancient cheddar still delicious on her tongue. "They want you to come in for testing the day after tomorrow. That ok?"

Marie tensed up but Jenna didn't notice, she was trying to button up her left glove. "Um…alright, I'll make sure to drink some purified water."

Jenna smile, none-the-wiser that she was pretty much killing Marie. "Good sweetheart, I'll let you eat and then you need to go to bed early."

"Ok," Marie mumbled into her food.

Once the door was shut, Marie began to cry.

She set her fork down and pulled her elbows up onto the table, holding her face in her hands, tears staining her fingers and making her face slippery. She wiped at her nose and lifted her head again, hearing a knocking at the door through her blubbering. She pushed herself to her feet and walked over to the door, opening slowly until a familiar, cruel, face pushed all the way in and slammed the door.

Riley was intimidating.

Standing at 6'2", she was a slim Amazon woman that had what she called 'tribal' tattoos across her arms and chest. '_Got them in the Mojave,_" she had smiled, a rare thing. "_It is truly a land of beauty, a place I could see myself staying in if none of you relied on my supply runs._"

Riley had violent green eyes and a head full of brown hair she had twisted into 'dreadlocks'; Marie didn't understand why they were called dreadlocks, what was so terrifying about them?

"You got your bag ready?"

Marie nodded gently. "Yeah…yeah, come on."

Riley followed the young blonde into her room and Marie handed the pack off to Riley, who threw it over her shoulder. "How do you have blonde hair," Riley asked gruffly, walking to the door. "Your parents had black hair."

"Maybe they weren't my parents," Marie muttered. "Where do we meet?"

Riley opened the door. "Meet me at the railway at midnight. I'll be hiding waiting by the dumpster," she quirked her lips in the corner. "Taking a big risk for you kid, people will think I'm trying to steal you."

"You kind of are," Marie smiled weakly. "I'll be there, probably early. Jenna gets off at midnight."

Riley nodded. "Marie…are you sure you want to do this?"

Marie looked up with wide eyes. "You're backing out now?"

The Amazon smiled, a true genuine smile, and shook her head. "No, but I'm hoping you will."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Out there…in the Wasteland…it's different. You may think 'no rules' sounds fun and everything, but it's the only thing keeping you safe."

Marie shook her head. "No, it isn't the rules that are making me want to runaway…it's the experimentation," she rubbed her arms, scarred from thick needles and testing strips. "I've been poked and prodded my own life, most people hate me because of my immunity to other things and most people only think of me as The Cure. I'm sick of it…"

"And?"

Marie grinned. "The and is a secret," she held a finger to her lips then pointed to Riley. "You just hold up your end, I'll pay you on the other side and I swear you won't have to deal with me after you drop me off at the nearest civilization."

Riley nodded. "Fine…fine, just be there. I can't send anyone after you."

And with that, the door snapped shut.

Marie stared at it for a moment and then took in a breath, walking into her room and reaching for the railing of her bed. She pulled it away from the wall, revealing a ten inch slit in the corner of the wall. She wiggled her hand inside and pulled out her diary, pushing the bed back with her hip while she grabbed a pencil from the bedside table; the pencils Jackson had given her, she had put in her bag. She sat at the kitchen table, pushing away her food and tore out a piece of paper from her book.

* * *

_Jenna,_

_I know I'm gone, I know you've looked everywhere for me, I know you've asked everyone if they saw me. But, before you do all that, please know you were the best mother a girl could ask for, even if you weren't really mine. Midea and Werhner were excellent parents but you topped them on all levels._

_But I'm gone._

_Don't look for me, please. Let me be free. I'm tired of the experimentation, I'm tired of the needles and the doctors, the masks and the times I was carried back because of the blood taken from me. I'm going somewhere where I can just be me and I know I might die, I know I might get raped and I know I might want to be home but you know what, I'm never coming back. I don't want to. _

_Tell Jackson I love him, tell my friends I will miss them. _

_My wedding was in a week._

_I have the dress and everything._

_But I can't wear it._

_I'm sorry._

_It's selfish and it's horrible, but it's my choice and I wanted to just take the chance._

_So, goodbye._

_Maybe I'll see you again one day. When you're old and gray, tucked away in your bed._

_We can both hope, right?_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Thank you Krulla Chief and Twillium for reviewing:) another diary chapter but the next will be a full chapter and then another full chapter._**

**_AlextheLonesome(hope I got that right): most of the thingsyou pointed out will be explained as the story goes. I haven't even really started the story yet. We're still getting to know Marie as an adult. _**

**_The origin of Riley's hair actually has a lot to do with the plot of this story, Marie doesn't know who it was that killed her parent's so yeah, the Lone Wanderer is the mysterious stranger to her. And how Marie handles the Wasteland is...well, she's not a noob but she isn't going to be a bumbling idiot either._**

* * *

**III**

**August 19, 2093**

I heard the alarms raise as Riley was loading our supplies onto the ailcar.

I didn't even panic.

I just stared at the bright lights sent into the sky, listened to those wailing sirens and then Riley had me help her work the rail car; it has to be moved manually with some sort of handle thing in the center of it. I didn't hear anyone through the tunnels so no one knew where we were, not yet. I don't know how far this tunnel leads, but Riley said she can handle the rail car now that we got it going. She said it just glides at a certain speed.

The air is cold.

Riley is quiet.

The only light is the oil lamp between us.

I'm scared, I'm anxious, I'm happy and so many more things. I can't wait to get the wasteland I will be arriving in. I will be free to be my own self and it makes me feel so light, so happy.

Riley wants to shut off the light so I have to stop writing. Maybe I'll write again whenever we stop at the other end of this tunnel but I don't know. We'll see.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry it's been so long. I get distracted so easily. Excuse the short chapter. To make up for it I'll post sooner. And excuse the spelling mistakes. Once again typed on a phone.**_

* * *

"Someone needs to t -"

Words died as a slim figure stalked past them, head covered by a tan hood, body wrapped in scarred recon armor. A heavy rifle was strapped to their back but all eyes kept to the bloody gauntlet on her right hand.

She twisted her head slightly to the right, hearing the mutters after she passed. She looked back down to the metal under her boots. "They despise me," her throat croaked.

"They fear you."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

All she got was a grunt. For once, that wasn't good enough for her.

_**Elsewhere in the Wasteland...**_

"Marie?"

The young blonde groaned, rolling onto her back, arms spreading out at her sides. Her eyes opened and she growled at the beams of light coming through the boards slabbed across the opening to the train tunnel.

She rubbed the back of her right hand over her eyes and sat up, legs dangling over the edge of the rail car. "We're here," she yawned.

Obviously," Riley snorted. She tossed Marie's bag over into the young girls lap and then slung hers over her shoulder. ""I let you sleep long enough. Time to head out."

Marie yawned again and nodded, pushing herself to her feet. She pushed her arms through the straps of her knapsack, following Riley out of the tunnel. The light was harsh and the heat stung her arms, causing her skin to immediately host a sheen of sweat. But she didn't care, with the view it was worth it. Everything was gray, green, dusty and very ugly. There was nothing, only a cluster of buildings to the West and to the South, a faint tower waving against the skyline.

But nothing meant no rules.

No tests.

No hovering adults.

Nothing.

"Marie, c'mon!"

Marie tore her eyes away from the sky and she followed Riley down a small path leading down to the flat lands. Riley atopped the blonde at the bottom of the incline, passing an assault rifle to Marie; she didn't look confident in herself.

"You know how to use that," Riley questioned, cradling her own rifle in her long hands.

"Kind of," Marie pulled the butt of the rifle against her shoulder. "But don't expect me to save you or anything with it."

Riley chuckled and they started out into the Wasteland.

The air was so quiet, Marie was close to muttering by the time Riley stopped. The sun was just past the middle of the sky so it was just past noon. Riley pulled Marie off to the side, pushing her into the shade of a bombed overpass. She passed Marie a bottle of water, the silence finally getting to Marie.

"I didn't think it wluld be this quiet," Marie muttered.

Riley grunted as she swallowed. "Capital Wasteland is just that - a Wasteland. There's nothing here but small settlements too isolated to hear outside of their walls," Riley looked out over the land as she capped her water. "You have two choices," she looked back to Marie. "Big Town or Megaton. My choice would be Megaton but Big Town is filled with kids more close to your age."

Marie shrugged and stuffed her water into her pack while Riley did the same. "I would prefer safety over company. Megaton."

Riley nodded and squinted her eyes against the sun as they started walking again. "Good choice."


	6. Chapter 6

_**I want to make these chapters longer but dammit I don't have my computer right now. **_

_**Warning: I plan on changing to title of the story soon. I'll let you all know before I do and I'll give you the new title as well.**_

_**MrSnarks: Thank you so much for the review. I hate the grammatical errors there are but typing on a phone means no proof reading. Not sure how to explain.**_

_**Genesis Vakarian: I'm glad you're enjoying it!**_

_**Krulla Chief: No, she's not but I have a new idea of her role in the story. I was just going to have her return to the Pitt for awhile but now...**_

* * *

"I'm not sure about this," she muttered, eye narrowed against the scope of her rifle.

He lay at her side, peering through his own scope to the fire under the overpass. They had been scoping out the pair around the fire for a couple hours now, unsure on their purpose so close to the outpost he and his partner had set up. They seemed harmless, but he had been wrong before.

"We can approach them before they wake," he kept his voice low, eyeing the taller woman with thick dreads.

Something about her was familiar.

His partner pulled her rifle back, mind lingering on the young blonde down there; he wasn't the only one feeling some sort of familiarity.

"Fine," she muttered, loading a full clip into her rifle.

She would be the sniper, in case he got in trouble. He wouldn't let her go down there.

**I Don't Know the Fucking Time or Date, 2093**

Riley says we're being watched. I onder how she knows that. It's impossible to see anything beyond the glower of our campire. She made us camp against another overpass.

In other news, I met a Super Mutant today.

Riley was ready to shoot him but he didn't have a weapon. And he said 'hey'. Apparently that was odd for a Super Mutant.

He was the first one I ever met so I was confused. Riley told me most Super Mutants are screaming, bloody lunatics so I didn't know.

He said his name was Uncle Leo, but he didn't mind if I called him just Leo.

P.S.: I thought he was kind of...cute...does that make me a bad person? Maybe.


	7. Chapter 7

**Goodness, I am just so happy with the support for this story. I didn't mean to be gone this long, things happen.**

* * *

"Marie…._Marie_!"

Her eyes fluttered open, her instantly racing at the way she was awoken. Her eyes blinked harshly, trying to adjust, as Riley jerked her up, forcing her bag into her hands. The fire was gone but the morning sun was already beginning to bathe everything in light. But, it was too early for anything to really be seen, just the silhouette of trees and broken houses.

"Riley," her voice croaked, hoarse.

"We gotta go," Riley growled. She slung her rifle over her shoulder, pulled Marie to her feet. "You need to wake up, fast."

Marie nodded numbly, pulling her back around her arms and onto her back. She took her gun from Riley and watched her for a moment, saw the way she was twitching everywhere and she was finally awake. She followed the directions Riley's eyes went, seeing nothing but half-lit darkness and hearing nothing but bullets flying way too close but far enough to not be involved.

Riley froze on one spot and Marie decided to look there, only finding dust swirling in the wind. That was when Riley grabbed Marie's hand and started dragging her.

"R-Riley," Marie sputtered, trying to use her feet but Riley was running. "Riley stop!"

"If I do, they catch us," Riley hissed, looking back over her shoulder.

Marie looked forward, confused. She didn't see anything. What the hell was Riley so…oh…oh, there it was. Two people, one small, one large, charging at them. The big one was grinning ear to ear, holding a bloody baseball bat in his large hands. The smaller one, though he wasn't that much smaller, was twitching this way and that, obviously high on something, and had a lead pipe in his hands. This was why Riley was running?

"Th-They're just idiots, we have guns!"

"Ambush, dingbat," Riley growled. "They distract us, more pour in. You don't hear the gunfire? That's their buddies killing more people. We were next to Big Town."

Big Town…so they…

The town had just been slaughtered, and they were next.

Until, beautifully cliché, a bullet snapped through the big ones head. It was enough to make his pal stop, it was enough to make Riley stop. The sound of the shot echoed against the rocks and Riley looked back, into the eyes of the manic one. He was looking in all kinds of directions, trying to find the bastard that had shot his partner, and then he received a spray of bullets from a combat shotgun.

Riley hadn't even noticed the ghoul approaching from the left.

He kicked the corpse, looking over at Riley and Marie, who was shaking. Blood had sprayed across her. Not much, but enough to see. He reached into his back pocket, pulled out a rag he used to clean blood from his knife, and tossed it at her. Riley had let go of her by now and Marie was thankful for that, turning to the right and wiping the blood from her face while Riley and the ghoul stared at each other.

"You were the one I noticed last night," she spoke calmly.

He nodded once.

"Don't talk much, do ya?"

He shook his head.

"Not allowed to. You know, stranger-danger and all."

Riley's head snapped to the left, eyes bright, and she saw a small woman approaching them. Not a girl, this was a woman. She wore recon armor that had obviously seen some fighting and an old Oasis hood that had holes in it, possibly from bullets. Her face was lightly scarred and so were her hands, as if from burns. But, she wasn't threatening. She was smiling at Riley and then Marie, who hadn't noticed her approach. Her eyes followed Marie's hand as she shakily passed the rag back to the ghoul, like she was angry, but her smile portrayed rightness.

"You were watching us," Marie questioned, ears perking.

The woman nodded, shifting her weight. "Yeah, we didn't know if you were friendlies or not," she gestured over her shoulder to where faint lights could be seen. "You were getting pretty close to Megaton, we had to make sure you wouldn't be a threat to our home."

Riley eyed the sniper rifle the woman had on her back. "Thank you," she spoke genuinely. "But Megaton was our destination. I need to drop this girl off there, her name is Marie. I'm Riley."

The woman smiled, taking Marie's outstretched hand. "Hello Riley, Marie. Call me Turnip."

"Turnip," Marie questioned, wanting to giggle.

"Yep, Turnip," she adjusted the rifle. "My friend Gob calls me that on occasion, it stuck as a name."

Riley nodded, looking over at the ghoul. "And you?"

"His name is Charon," Turnips voice grew a little gruff. "Let's head back to Megaton. I'm sure you guys are hungry, thirsty? Maybe you need a nice place to sleep instead of the cold desert ground."

Marie grinned but Riley remained indifferent. "That would be so nice," she looked over at Riley. "Come on, let's go! We were headed there anyway."

Riley nodded, reluctant. "Fine, fine. Let's go then."

"Excellent, Gob will be happy to have fresh faces in the Saloon…"

Saloon?

* * *

There it was, Moria- er, Gob's – Saloon.

A rickety metal shack atop more rickety metal shacks, surrounding a disarmed, undetonated, bomb. The moment Marie saw it, her eyes sparkled and she took off, sliding down the hill towards the bomb and Riley reluctantly followed. But at a much slower pace. Turnip and Charon followed as well, whispering amongst themselves but Riley could hear and knew she shouldn't be listening, this was just private talk not 'Alright, you bag the bitch I'll get the air head' talk.

"Who tore out the right wires," Marie questioned, peering into the panel with the timer.

"It's a little more complicated than that," Turnip politely closed the panel. "But I did."

Marie grinned. "That is so cool!"

"Really," Turnip looked over at Riley, who just gave her a look of 'Go with it'.

Marie nodded vigorously, her growling stomach breaking her excitement. She grabbed at the fabric covering her stomach, looking around almost nervously. Turnip smiled and began to lead everyone up towards the Saloon, saying Nova would have lunch ready. Inside the saloon, air poured from a rattling window unit behind the bar and a ghoul manned the drinks, placing beers in front of several older men and a Nuke-Cola in front of one with an eye patch. Turnip directed Riley and Marie to a small corner that seemed to be cut off from the rest of the bar and Riley was glad to see Charon following behind the stranger.

"I'll stay for a few days," Riley muttered, settling in a chair that creaked under her weight. "Think I'll arrange something with Turnip to teach you about the Capital Wasteland."

Marie nodded but she was only half-listening. She was more concerned about the unfamiliar faces around the bar. It was so weird, to see so many smiling faces in a bar. There was no rusty smell in the air, no peeling sores or cries of the turned from outside. It was just smiling facing and pretty music trickling in from the radio.

Marie smiled at Riley. "Thank you so much for bringing me here."

Riley almost smiled back, but heard Turnip laugh and her eyes hardened. "Don't thank me yet…


	8. Chapter 8

_**It's not long and again I apologize for the wait but again, shit happens. As usual, excuse the spelling mistakes.**_

Things seem clearer through the scope of a sniper rifle.

Gallows would admit that more than most. He spent most of his time peering through that scopr; his left eye was slightly blurred because of that.

He could see each footprint in the sand as they stalked through the night. Did they think they were hidden? They probably didn't care. He didn't even flinch when the bright red eyes swept over the hills on either side of them, up to the crumbling overpass he had set up his nest on.

They said something but it was filtered through the preciously curved helmet stuffed onto their head.

"Friendlies?"

He didn't even look at Sarah as she slouched against the side railing he was settled on. "Can't tell yet," he muttered, gratefully taking the bottle of water she offered.

In one swift movement, he lifted his helemt, downed most of the bottle and then he was all business again. Sarah sighed heavily and took the bottle, capping it. She looked over the the rookies they had brought along, watched them loading the cargo they had found into the back of a Brahmin cart.

"Can't wait to get the motor running," she muttered, her geiger counter ticking in the panel of her neck brace.

Gallows nodded, watching the strangers dissapear. "They're headed for the ruins," he told Sarah, pulling himself out of his nest. "We need to hurry."

She nodded and gave a shrill whistle to the 8nitiates. "Faster," she barked, and they obeyed. She looked back over to Gallows, saw his head twisted towards the ruins bht not quite there. "Think we should...try recruiting again?"

He looked at her sharply and though she couldn't see his eyes, she could feel the menacing glare she was rewarded. "We get the equipment back to the Citadel," he grunted and they started following behind the lackies. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "But...perhaps we should talk to Elder Lyons about recruiting."

"She's not gonna be happy about us asking again," Sarah reminded him.

"Don't care," he spoke sharply.

As he stomped ahead of her, sniper rifle now cradled in his hands, she eyed the cartoon-ish skull carved into one of the plates on his back and looked back to the skyline.


	9. Chapter 9

Marie wishes she could join in the revelry that is happening around her, but she had already explained her inability to get drunk to the rest of the drunkards and they seemed unsatisfied but less enthused about buying her rounds they eventually swilled down. She giggles from her place at the bar, leaning onto her right elbow, letting her left hand thrum against the grimy counter top. She re-crosses her legs and then grins boldly at a cute guy with an eye patch. But he is quickly swept away by a woman in tight blue clothes and bright red hair. It's a flurry of colors here and she still feels light headed, even without the alcohol.

A sharp tap catching her attention and she looks over, seeing a Nuka-Cola sitting just inches from her elbow. She looks into the cloudy eyes of the bartender/owner, Gob. He smiles and she smiles back, taking a small sip of the drink before she lurches forward at a temporary weight on her back. A chorus of cheerful cries echo around the room and the weight is gone, replaced with the silky brush of someone's hair.

"It always like this," she can speak normal enough, the radio had been gone for an hour and the cheers weren't too loud surprisingly.

Gob shook his head, worrying the edge of a glass with an old, patchy, cloth. "Not really," he sighs. "Suppose it's the new company we have."

And he smiles and she smiles and Riley continues to stare out the window from a floor above her, rifle in her hands. Something in the air…it doesn't feel right. She isn't letting her guard down for anything. She hears Marie laugh and does look down, sees her talking animatedly to the ghoul behind the bar. It almost makes her want to smile but then she hears something, outside. Outside, outside. The gates, they're close enough and these things are flimsy enough she can hear straight through.

But no words, just the heavy clang of power armor. Brotherhood? Enclave? What could it be? And what faction of the Brotherhood? They had been steadily leaking in from all over the place. Something big was happening, she just knew it. But until he could shove Marie off, she had to play the good watch dog and bide her time.

No running off into the desert for her.

* * *

"Don't worry, Charon will keep watch," Turnip hiccups as she climbs the stairs.

Marie pushes on her back a little as she sways backwards and Turnip waves a hand. Riley was still by the door, at the foot of the stairs. Charon, the heavy ghoul, was peering out the door and she knew he heard it too. It was nearly five in the morning, and the clang of power armor was still loud and fresh. What the hell was going on? Patrolling the town? Maybe there were allies Turnip hadn't disclosed.

That made Riley question some things about the petite little psycho.

Charon looked over at her, nodded once and shut the door. Riley nodded back, prepared to climb the steps and then she saw the odd set of twenty three locks decorating the door. So, Turnip was as paranoid as she guessed.

She and Marie were bedded in the same room, a small one with one bed against the longest wall and to the left of the door. It was cramped but both were used to cramped situations. Marie thanked Turnip and Riley just unloaded their supplies into the locker under her bed, waiting for the door to shut to look over at Marie. She held up a finger, knocked on the walls, deemed them thick enough.

"I don't know about leaving you here," Riley began.

Marie paused from untying her boots and looked up, bangs falling into her eyes. "What do you mean," she smiled. "This place is great."

"I heard power armor outside the gates, I don't know if they were allies but if they weren't, we're in danger. Those trained enough for the use of that armor are not to be fucked with and I won't have you hurt."

Marie wanted to smile a bit broader but that smile dropped when she saw the way Riley clenched her hands. "Oh right," she muttered, re-lacing her boots. "I'm just a mission."

Riley went to stop her but Marie was already out the door, slamming it in Riley's face. She sighed, didn't hear the front door open (of course it wouldn't, that hulking ghoul was keeping watch and there were so many fucking locks) and fell back on her bed. She wanted to be back home, in bed, or at least on another fucking raid through a bandit camp.

This babysitter shit was not working out for her.

* * *

**_I'm looking to making these chapters longer, but until then you all have to suffice with these short bastards._**


	10. Chapter 10

**_See, not dead. Just...well I guess spacey would be the right word. Excuse spelling mistakes, this time I was just lazy. Will be revised. Next chapter will be longer!_**

**_Note _**_Hey guys, I'm looking to change the title of this story. Any suggestions? Or do you think I should?_

**_Remember to review!_**

* * *

_"This is beautiful," she whispered, fingers curling over the edge of the carwalk they were sitting on._

_He smiled at her but she wasn't focused on him, and that was ok. He just wanted her to enjoy this little moment. He had been promising her for months that he would take her to see the stars and he had finally gone through with that promise. Of course, that meant going into the restricted zone last the bridge. They weren't old enough to be officially allowed to the old train yard. They would be in a heap of trouble when their parents found out they weren't in bed._

_He reached out and placed a hand over one of hers. That finally caught her attention and she smiled that dazzling smile that had made him fall in love with his Marie._

_And she leans forward at his own smile, pressing her lips against his. His skin erupts into goosebumps and he threads his fingers through hers. So tender...it's their first real kiss, those on-the-cheek smooches unaccounted for._

_She feels alive, feels happy for the first time in a long time. He always makes her happy. He...she hoped he would always make her feel like this._

_Somewhere down the road, he wouldn't be enough. But, in that moment, he was more than enough. Way more._

* * *

Her eyes snapped open, her chest arching as her fingers stretched over the hard floot beneath her fingers.

_"Child,_" a rough voice growled as equally rough fingers gripped her elbow. "Quiet, you will wake the others."

She gaped for a minute while the ghoul helped her to her feet. As he set her on the edge of old couch, she tried to speak again but ended up just shaking while he rummaged in the fridge. She looked over towards where the light of the fridge bathed over a shelf of boxed food and luke warm Cola. A few glowing bottles of whiskey caught her eye but she just shook her head, rubbing her forehead.

The heels of her hands rubbed sleep out of her taught face and she leaned forward onto her knees, wrapping her arms around her thighs. Everything had been going moderately ok and then...what the hell was that dream about? Why dream about him? It made her stomach ache.

She jumped when the fridge door slammed shut and stared at Charon as he approached her. Leather armor...tight leather armor. She shook her head, smiling gently as he offered her the bottle while also grabbing his shotgun from where it was leaning against the loveseat in the corner.

She looked up at him and mouthed (the words didn't want to come out) a 'thank you'. Taking a gentle sip, she was slightly shocked to feel the couch to her right sink and looked over at Charon. He had his eyes closed and his shotgun in his lap. It was terrifyingly large, far larger than other shotguns she had seen in the Pitt and had...carvings in the wooden stock. She couldn't really make out the details of the pictures, but she could tell it took a steady hand to get those kinds of results.

"How bad was I," she muttered, lips still against the rim of her bottle of water.

He didn't answer her and that was good enough. How had she gotten in here though? As she sipped on the water (which tasted too rusty), she remembered a faint spat - mostly on her end - between Riley and herself and...stomping down here. Then everything was a blur. Marie groaned and hung her head, feeling ridiculously...stupid.

* * *

When she wakes up the next morning, Turnip is hesitantly surprised to hear laughter in her home. She rolls onto her right side and then sits up, rubbing a hand over her scalp...why was half of her...oh right. Nova had a pair of scissors and a razor last night.

"Ow," she mumbles, stumbling into her door.

Charons bed, situated against the opposite side of the room, was empty. It was never empty when she woke up. He was always watching her, keeping the room as secure as a virgins panties.

"Holy fuck real food," Turnip smiles in awe at the layout on her rickety coffee table.

It wasn't really a treasure trove, but it was more than what she and Charon usually scrounged up. The distinct scent of brahmin steak hung in the air and the bowls of Insta-Mash and Mac N Cheese were heavenly, even Charon was eating with a hint of a smile on his face. Riley was curled in a tattered peach love seat in the corner of the room. Marie and Charon shared the lime colored couch, a space open for Turnip beside Charon.

"Hi Turnip," Marie smiled. "Come eat!"

Turnip took a step closer to the couch, reaching for a plate and spoon, ready to dig in; her stomach was growling like a yao guai. "Where did you..."

"Marie is an excellent cook when she wants to be," Riley muttered, oddly pointy teeth tearing through her meat.

Marie looked down, a light blush on her cheeks. "Charon helped me find a decent vendor in the middle of town. The Stahls didn't have Brahmin and he said Moira would probably try and test on me so..."

"Gob," Turnip nodded. "Well either way, this smells great."

"Tastes great," Riley set her plate in her lal.

After stuffing her face and getting her armor cleaned, Turnip was ready for business. She could see the tension around Riley and wanted nothing more than to get the stranger to speak befkre she popped from the anxiety.

So, Turnip sent Marie out with Charon for target practice and sat with Riley in the small alcove above her living room.

"Don't have all day," Turnip grunted, snuffing out her cigarette; it was her second since sitting down with Riley.

Rileys brow furrowed and then she sighed, rubbing her brow. "I...I need to leave Marie here."

"But..," Turnip raised an eyebrow.

"But...I fear she won't be safe."

Turnip stared at Riley for a long moment then sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Why?"

No sense in telling her that no one was safe in the Wasteland but something seemed to be on her mind and now Turnip was curious. Riley looked out the window (well, it wasn't so much a window as a hole Turnip had blasted with an old plasma rifle) and then back to Turnip.

"Last night...I hear people in power armor moving outside the walls."

Oh, definatly something interesting.

"Power armor," aTurnip muttered.

Riley cocked her head to the right subtly. "So they weren't allies of yours..."

Turnip huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "The only allies with power armor I had..." her eyes strayed to Rileys for a moment then she shook her head. "Look, Marie...I guess I can keep an eye on her for the time being."

"And the power armored strangers?"

"That might take a little more doing."

If things weren't so tense, Riley would have chuckled. "How about this...you and I go out there tonight, scout a position and set up a nest to see who comes through?"

Turnip thought on it for a minute. "It'll be hard to convince Charon to just let me go without him..."

"Ditto for Marie."

Turnip rubbed her chin. "Well...I guess there's always the contract..."

Riley looked up from under her brow, shoulders tense. "What contract?"


	11. Chapter 11

_**In the very near future, I am going to go through the previous chapters and do some editing. Not sure on many of the details of what I plan but I will be sure to let you all know of important changes.**_

* * *

Jenna shook her head in disbelief, gripping the railing in front of her. Two guards stood to her right, looking at her impassively.

"Who took her," Jenna muttered.

"We believe Riley, the head of the scavenging team took her."

Jenna nodded, opening her mouth to speak but a lanky figure appeared from around the corner of the scafolding, his boots thumping on the floor. The smile he wore faded when he saw Jenna's expression, fading even more so when he saw the guards walking away.

"What happened," Jackson questioned.

"Marie is gone."

He seemed to freeze, eyelids fluttering briefly before he leaned forward. "Excuse me?"

Jenna shook her head, hastily (angrily) pulling her apron from her body. "Riley took her," Jackson jogged behind her as she jogged down the stairs. "Where is her husband?"

"H-He's in the kitchen. Jenna - what do you mean Marie is gone?"

* * *

"Where are we going?"

Charon grunted and Marie sighed, loyally following behind him over the crest of a hill. She didn't know how long they had been walking but it felt like hours. Earlier that morning, after breakfast was tucked away and dishes were clean, Turnip and Riley insisted she go out with Charon. He had a few errands to run on Turnips behalf so Marie figured why not, be had also offered to teach her a few tricks of the trade.

The tricks of a mercenary, not a bad offer.

"Wilhelm's Wharf."

Marie looked away from the passing Eye-Bot to the back of Charon's scabby head. "Huh?"

"Wilhelm's Wharf," he paused at the edge of the building dubbed Super-Duper Mart. "That's where we're headed."

There were several people milling about the old parking lot of the Mart, some working with sparks on the doors on opposite ends of the building. Some people patrolled with assault rifles and the robots that belched the proud declarations of someone that called himself Eden; his voice was so slow and droll, it made Marie yawn. The other people that were in the parking lot were working on the few cars not burnt from radiation and their own explosions caused by one too many nicks of a passing bullet.

"What's Wilhelm's Wharf?"

"Old trading post along the river," Charon waved two fingers at a man with a bald head and frown lines. "Gotta drop off supplies for the newest shipment of Fixer."

Marie's nose crinkled as she and the ghoul picked their way slowly down a twisted road, the river in view. "Fixer?"

Charon nodded, adjusting the full pack over his shoulder. "It's a solution developed for junkies, Doc Church needs a steady shipment and Grandma Sparkle gets easy trade from the Mojave."

"Mojave?"

Charon sighed. "Kid, don' you know anything?"

Marie shrugged though he couldn't see her. "I've only known my home in the Pitt...never needed to know anything else."

Charon hummed but didn't say anything else, they had apparently arrived at their destination judging by the way Charon slammed down his pack on an old plastic table. Marie stopped at the edge of burgundy colored bricks that trailed to a roughly thrown together shack that kept it's door open; the smell of beef and cooked carrots wafted through the air. There were several other chairs and table scattered around the wharf where a few people sat and talked, ate. Marie looked at the sign in front of her. There were two pieces of wood slapped down on two wooden post, the top read Captain Paglia and the bottom said Dockside Bar &amp; Grill.

Not Wilhelm's Wharf.

She shook her head and sidled up to Cbaron's side while he unloaded the contents of his pack into a large cloth bin on wheels that was held by a middle-aged man with a head wrap and an eye patch; he looked so familiar to Marie.

"28 cans of beans, 14 packs of Salsbury Steak, 10 boxes of Insta-Mash and Mac N' Cheese," Charon named off the provisions to the man. "Three cases of Nuka-Cola and two cases of Whiskey."

The man nodded. "Hey thanks man, I'll be right back with the Fixer. Grandma was lookin' forward to your visit, go say hey."

Charon nodded and waited for him to roll away the supplies before looking down at Marie. "Wanna meet Grandma Sparkle?"

Marie nodded and started following him towards the docks. "I love her name."

Charon chuckled, but only for a second. "Something you should know, this woman is almost 83 years old and blind. So, don't be freaked out."

Marie raised an eyebrow as they stopped behind a chair where a woman sat, thin strands of ashy hair ruffled in the breeze Why would she be freaked out?

"Charon? Is that you, sweetie?"

"Yes ma'am."

The old woman let out a raspy chuckle and wobbled to her feet, hunting rifle sliding on her back. "Such a gentleman."

Marie froze.

So that's why she...this woman's eyes were white. Not like a ghoul's, a ghoul's were ok compared to this. Marie could see the faint outline of blue irises that were now obscured by this gross, mucus-y white color. Around the edges of her eyes were traces of molted skin, like she had been burned or something.

"Oh," Marie muttered, realizing what happened.

The old woman turned her hazy attention to Marie, unable to blink but able to narrow her eyes a little. "Charon? You brought a guest?"

Charon cleared his throat. "Yes...this is Marie."

The woman's face seemed to light up but before she could speak, the man with the eye patch came blundering in on their conversation.

"Hey man, I got your stuff ready on a pack Brahmin."

"Oh Billy," Grandma Sparkle tsked, blindly taking a hold of Marie's hand. "Tie that thing up and get us some drinks."

Billy hesitated. "Uh..."

Marie smiled, taking the older woman's hand more firmly. "Yeah, get us some drinks."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hey guys! So I know its been awhile since I updated last but I haven't forgotten about this story or anything - I forgot my email. Thank God I was logged in still on my moms phone (I dropped mine in some water and its fried so I'm on hers for a few days) so I'm back, relatively speakig. I'm editing right now. I will let you all know whats going on when I get around to whatever but until then - keep checking on me.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**So, I'm redoing this story. I'm just...I'm not content with what I have **__at all__** and think its time for a change. I'll post one more chapter in this telling you the new name and everything when its up and after a week, I'm deleting this, just to make sure everyone following is informed and whoever can't get to this in time will unfortuanatly be left in the dark unless they check my profile.**_

**_I'm only deleting it so no one will review saying 'Update'. The story is obviously abandoned, why say that? Anyway, its 3:15 a.m. where I am so I'm gonna crash and post the final update when I wake up._**

**_Hope to see you all in the new story._**


	14. Chapter 14

_**I slept almost a full 24 hours. And I'm still tired. But I've just posted (at 1:11 a.m.) the redo of this story. The new title is I, Marie - may change that, but way later down the line. This story will be taken down once I export all of my chapters, seeing as both stories are the same and...have the same summary.**_

_**Anyway! Scooch on over there and enjoy the revamp, I'm excited.**_


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